Fernando Mendoza Gives Indiana Massive Quarterback Advantage Over UCLA

Curt Cignetti and No. 2 Indiana are gearing up for this Saturday's tilt in Bloomington against UCLA as the Hoosiers look to maintain their undefeated record.

While the most difficult stretch of IU's schedule has passed, the team is not taking its upcoming opponent lightly.

UCLA's resume on paper may not be all that impressive, but the program has quickly turned around since Deshaun Foster was fired and Tim Skipper took over at the helm. Since then, the Bruins have picked up victories over Penn State, Michigan State, and Maryland.

Nico Iamaleava, a former No. 1 recruit out of high school and Tennessee’s ex-starting quarterback, has been at the forefront of that turnaround.

Although his tenure at UCLA got off to a rocky start, he has stabilized since the coaching change. Across seven contests, Iamaleava has thrown for 1,355 passing yards and 10 touchdowns on a 65.2% completion percentage, adding 360 yards rushing.

But this weekend, he faces off against an elite IU defense that is surrendering just 11.6 points per contest and will go head-to-head with one of the nation's best signal-callers.

Fresh off a dominant performance against Michigan State, Indiana has the clear advantage in the quarterback department, and the numbers support that argument. Fernando Mendoza has been flawless in 2025, tossing 1,755 passing yards and 21 touchdowns with an otherworldly 9.7 yards per attempt average.

Sep 27, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) rolls out to throw a pass against the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first quarter at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images | Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Mendoza and Iamaleava entered the season with similar expectations — in fact, both were given 60-1 odds to win the Heisman Trophy in the preseason. However, Mendoza is now projected to be one of the finalists for the award and has even been dubbed the 'best quarterback in college football' by teammate Omar Cooper Jr.

In addition to his four-touchdown showing vs. the Spartans last week, Mendoza went on a three-game stretch earlier this season in which he threw for 782 yards, 14 touchdowns, and no interceptions on an 85.3% completion percentage. Those games came against Kennesaw State, Indiana State, and an Illinois squad previously ranked within the nation's top 10.

Even in less impressive outings like the one against Oregon, Mendoza was able to move the ball downfield and outplayed an elite quarterback in Dante Moore.

Mendoza has proved himself among the most accurate passers in the sport. More importantly, he has limited mistakes and turnovers, something that Iamaleava has struggled with throughout his career.

Iamaleava has been effective in the ground game recently, especially when he rushed for 128 yards and three touchdowns in the upset win over the Nittany Lions. That is one advantage that he has over Mendoza, but fortunately for IU, the Hoosiers don't need their signal-caller to bail them out with his legs.

Offensive playmakers like wideouts Elijah Sarratt (43 receptions, 603 yards, 9 TDs) and Cooper Jr. (37 receptions, 581 yards, 7 TDs), along with an excellent committee of running backs, give Mendoza a security blanket to fall on in case he isn't having his best day.

Analysts aren't projecting this one to be too close, with most sportsbooks listing the Hoosiers as four-possession favorites heading into the matchup.

But if UCLA is somehow able to make it tighter than expected and quarterback play decides the outcome down the stretch, Indiana undoubtedly has the better man under center.